Columbia sockeye fishery shortens

BREWSTER – Due to a low sockeye salmon return, fishermen will have fewer days on the Columbia River in the coming days.

And the Upper Columbia River may not open at all.

Agency fisheries employees project the sockeye return to be less than half of the run forecast of 275,000 fish.

According to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the sockeye fishery opened June 27 and will close Sunday, July 5, downstream of the U.S. Highway 395 bridge. That’s four fewer days of fishing.

The daily bag limit during the fishery is two adult salmon one adult salmon and one adult steelhead.

With so few fish,...